Page 3939 - Week 09 - Thursday, 25 August 2011
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As the Chief Minister said in this place last week and has again indicated this afternoon, the ACT public service can, indeed, do more. I think we can all collectively do more to develop a culture in all of our workplaces that is completely intolerant of bullying. I note the contributions of other members in the context of this debate this afternoon that a very good place to start could well be, in fact, this place and, most particularly, what occurs in this chamber.
Mr Seselja: Yes, like sexist language? What do you reckon?
MR BARR: I note the interjection of the Leader of the Opposition—he cannot help himself. But that was one of many examples, Mr Seselja, that are not isolated to one particular side of the chamber.
Mr Seselja: Do you have anything that compares to that? I don’t think so.
MR BARR: Well, there are plenty of examples, and what we are hearing now again—
Mr Seselja interjecting—
MADAM ASSISTANT SPEAKER (Ms Le Couteur): Mr Seselja, please be quiet.
Mr Doszpot interjecting—
MADAM ASSISTANT SPEAKER: Mr Doszpot, please be quiet. Mr Barr, you have the floor.
MR BARR: Thank you, Madam Assistant Speaker, You cannot even raise the issue without that sort of interjection. Again, I do not need to really say much more. They condemn themselves in the way that they behave in the context of even raising the issue. We have from time to time seen in other parliaments, particularly in the context of the national parliament, calls for a greater standard of behaviour in relation to the conduct of business.
Before I get another barrage of interjections from the deputy leader, yes, of course there is an appropriate time and place for robust debate. People come into this place with great passion and seek to argue their case, and that is fine. But there are obvious limits in relation to that, and I think that the observation not just of those who participate in this chamber but those who observe what occurs in here is that there are times when those boundaries are clearly crossed. The fact that those opposite seem to dismiss that completely or think that it only applies to the behaviour of one individual reflects very poorly on them.
In closing, the government remains committed to providing a safe, productive and enjoyable workplace for all of our public servants.
MR SMYTH (Brindabella) (4.16): I would just like to bring to the attention of the Assembly a person who actually rang my office. I have been working with her for a couple of years now on two public interest disclosures that she made, and she asked to
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